Understanding how drugs work is made simple in this easy to use pocket-sized guide. Drugs in common use are described under each body system and will form an aid to your confident administration of drugs to fit your patients' needs.

     

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    INTRODUCTION

    Some classes of drugs   

    Common abbreviations used in drug administration  

    Latin abbreviations  

    Routes of administration

    Units used in drug administration  

    Recognised drug abbreviations   

    Other common abbreviations   

    SOME DEFINITIONS    ROUTES OF DRUG ADMINISTRATION     

    Oral administration Intravenous drug administration

    Drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination    

    Absorption   

    Drug distribution   

    Drug metabolism and elimination  

    Mechanisms of drug action – pharmacodynamics  

    Drug receptors  

    Some drugs affecting adrenergic transmission  

    Drugs and the respiratory tract      Bronchodilators   

    Other drugs used in asthma   

    Steroids (glucocorticoids, corticosteroids

    Cardiovascular drugs

    Nitrates  

    Calcium channel blockers

    Alpha adrenoreceptor antagonists   

    Potassium channel activators

    ACE-Inhibitors

    Angiotensin-II receptor antagonists

    Drugs affecting cardiac contractility    Digoxin  

    Adrenaline   Atropine   

    Beta-adrenergic antagonists (beta-blockers)  

    Antiarrhythmic drugs     

    Vaughan Williams classification of antidysrhythmic drugs   

    Examples of drugs used for specific cardiac arrhythmias

    Lipid-lowering drugs   

    Statins   

    Fibrates  

    NICE guidance to choice of drug treatment for newly diagnosed hypertension

    Prevention of CVD    Chronic heart failure   Antithrombotics       Anticoagulants

    Antiplatelet drugs  

    Thrombolytic agents  

    Diuretics   Urinary incontinence Gastrointestinal tract   AntiEmetics   Analgesics   

    Paracetamol   NSDAIDs  

    Opioids

    Drugs to treat diabetes mellitus      

    The different actions of various types of insulin   

    Oral hypoglycaemic agents and their action

    Some antibacterial drugs    The central nervous system      

    Drugs commonly used to prevent seizures in epilepsy  

    Parkinson’s disease   

    Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia  

    ANTIDEPRESSANTS HYPNOTICS    ANTIPSYCHOTIC DRUGS ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS   

    Predisposing factors   

    Examples of ADRs  

    Adverse drug events   

    Some prescribing and administration errors  

    Possible causes of prescribing and administration errors  

    Preventing errors   

    Drug and food interactions   

    Some differentiating features of drug overdose    

    Drugs causing coma  

    Drugs affecting pupil size  

    Drugs causing respiratory features   

    Cardiovascular features   

    Common drug overdoses  

    Useful websites   

    Biography

    Ann Richards